Update: A few of my readers have asked me why I don't post as much celeb satire here as I used to. It was a LOT of work to keep up with the current trashy gossip and crank out so many weekly posts. It began to drain me and I suffered massive burn out. Those mind-numbing Kardashians and Lohans can really do a number on you if you aren't careful. These days, I still find the occasional inspiration in a paparazzi photo or a silly news story over at Dlisted, but I'd rather just be an artist and draw whatever I feel like drawing on any given day. One day I might wake up and decide to work on my deck of playing cards- another day I might be in the mood to paint Madonna (currently in process) or Karl Lagerfeld (swoon), or I might visit a grocery store and see some confounding new chemical food-type thing and want to draw that. Thanks for reading my blog!

In homage to my childhood obsession with Wacky Packages (A collection of trading cards/stickers featuring parodies of consumerproducts), I've decide to make a few of my own. While they are meant to be parodies, each card is based in either a glaring truth or a blatant misconception. After a public interest organization slammed Campbell's soup as overpriced disease-promoting cans of salt and water, I thought it would be nice if Campbell's came clean and added Cream of Sodium to their product line. Medium: graphite on paper, digital color, Cream of Sodium concept by Paula E.

Similar to the way Janice Dickinson heaps on Kabuki mask amounts of makeup before she leaves the house, the average hot dog also spends plenty of time getting painted and injected before it goes out to face its adoring fans.Sodium nitrite, the Maybelline of food additives, is often added to processed meats such as hotdogs, bacon, bologna, salami and SPAM in order to make them look camera-ready before they arrive on store shelves. Without nitrates, these meats would appear unappealingly drab, gray and unappetizing and would likely end up on one of those Celebrities Without Makeup features on the cover of Star Magazine. We want our hot dogs to be pretty, plump and pink.

One of the reasons I started this trading card collection of monsters inspired by toxic ingredients in our food, water and households was because I was amazed over how many unsettling claims and conflicting debates are being brought to light about the subject. I've enjoyed examining both sides of the debate (as well as considering the sources of conflicting claims), but it's left me a bit rattled to realize how many poisons might be lurking out there and what they may be doing to us. Tap water, I've learned, is the granddaddy of all scary monsters. Seemingly sparkling clear and refreshing, tap water seems appears innocent enough, but many are claiming our tap water is a gurgling toxic mess brimming with high levels of pharmaceuticals, sex hormones, and a certain hazardous waste known as fluoride. The sex hormone part could explain the mystery of the increasing occurrence of Moobs.

My latest project has been collaborating on a set of trading cards inspired by the numerous toxic ingredients found in products we consume every day. Frightening side-effects caused by chemicals in our food, water and home/personal care products are making us sick. Working with artist Bob Lizarraga, we plan to turn these ingredients into the true monsters they are! Above: This sweet sludge lurks in just about everything from soft drinks to jellies and even wheat bread. Dubbed by some as "Liquid Satan", High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is being blamed for the obesity epidemic and an increase in diabetes in adultsandchildren. Latest studies even show it contributes to cancer cell growth - scary. There are however, many who believe HFCS is safe. It's just sweet innocent sugar, that's all. Nothing to worry about. They might feel that way because HFCS is cheaper and more abundant than real sugar, thereby making profits much more plentiful. All that extra cash keeps Liquid Satan nice and fat, with a closet full of polyester leisure suits and plenty of sharp forks to poke you with. Medium: Ink on paper, digital color. Illustration by 14.